By ANNA USHER

The NSW government has approved Woolworths’ $191 million mixed-use development at Neutral Bay, replacing the existing Rangers Road supermarket with a 12-storey building containing 97 apartments, commercial space and an underground store.

Development consent was issued on 4 May 2026, three days after the Housing Delivery Authority gazetted a rezoning for the 4,207-square-metre site.

A sunset clause in the enabling legislation would have lapsed on 29 May 2026.

“We have achieved the first concurrent Housing Delivery Authority rezoning and State Significant Development approval in the North Sydney LGA,” Woolworths Group’s national general manager of mixed-use development Pierre Abrahamse, wrote on LinkedIn this week. He said the process took less than 15 months.

What’s been approved

The existing supermarket at 1-7 Rangers Road and an adjoining commercial building at 50 Yeo Street will be demolished. The approved development – designed by Koichi Takada Architects – rises to eight storeys on the Yeo Street side and 12 storeys on Rangers Road.

Woolworths relocates to a 3,800-square-metre basement supermarket, accessible by escalator and lift. Above it: a medical centre, commercial offices, 10 retail tenancies, a 1,100 square metre public plaza and 97 residential apartments.

Construction is expected to begin this year and finish by 2029.

Affordable housing

Ten of the 97 apartments are designated affordable housing for 15 years. The Housing Delivery Authority rezoning required a minimum of 5% of residential floor area; Fabcot, the Woolworths development subsidiary, offered 5.2%.

North Sydney Council and community groups had sought 10% affordable housing in perpetuity.

Sunlight and design

The assessment report found 29 of the 97 apartments – 29% – do not receive direct sunlight between 9am and 3pm during mid-winter. The Apartment Design Guide sets a maximum non-compliance rate of 15%.

The department accepted the variation, noting that affected units have access to the 1,100-square-metre public plaza and to compensating features, including terraces and skylights.

Infrastructure

Residents raised concerns during the exhibition about the area’s ageing water and sewer infrastructure. Sydney Water confirmed the site should be able to connect to existing services; detailed network requirements will be determined at the Section 73 assessment stage, which occurs after development consent is granted.

Community response

Of 46 public submissions, 30 objected, seven supported, and nine commented. North Sydney Council formally opposed the project at every stage.

The council’s director of planning, Marcelo Occhiuzzi, warned in September 2025 that issuing consent before the rezoning took effect could be “beyond power” under NSW planning law. The department issued consent three days after the rezoning was gazetted.

The approved height of 44 metres compares with an original planning limit of 16 metres on the site.
All planning documents are available at planningportal.nsw.gov.au – search SSD-82875708.

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